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Dean of Law Kim Brooks: "We want to de-mystify some of these issues and connect them with what we experience in our day-to-day lives.鈥�(Nick Pearce Photo)

Always wanted to know what it鈥檚 like to go to law school?

Starting Thursday evenings, January 20, come and find out at a series of engaging public lectures that will give you a taste of what a legal education is all about.

There鈥檚 no cost to attend 鈥� and better still, no tests to write 鈥� just come with a curious ear to listen to fascinating lectures from some of the law school鈥檚 most talented faculty.

Following the model of the very popular Mini Med School at pilipili漫画, Mini Law School will take a look at contemporary issues in law and how they affect our lives and society.

鈥淲e all interact with aspects of law every day, and yet understanding the way it operates and is administered is something of a mystery for many of us,鈥� says Dean Kim Brooks. 鈥淲e want to de-mystify some of these issues and connect them with what we experience in our day-to-day lives.鈥�

So will it really be like going to law school? 鈥淲ell, not exactly!鈥� says Dean Brooks with a smile. 鈥淏ut if you鈥檙e interested in the law and increasing your understanding of it, this series will certainly give you an insider鈥檚 look at what it鈥檚 like to think about law in the context of a legal education.鈥�

In the first of the series, Professor Archie Kaiser will look at dilemmas in Canadian sentencing law. 鈥淲hat we see on the news tends to be the 鈥榖ottom line鈥� of the judge鈥檚 sentence,鈥� explains Prof. Kaiser. 鈥淲hat we don鈥檛 often have access to are the full reasons given by the court, and this can be really frustrating for members of the public who may perceive a sentence as being 鈥榯oo lenient鈥�. But sentencing isn鈥檛 as easy as you might think. You can鈥檛 just say 鈥榣ock them up and throw away the key鈥欌�攁mong other things, you have to consider the protection of society and how that is best achieved, the pain of victims, the rehabilitation and reintegration of most offenders, and the messages that the sentence sends. In my lecture, I鈥檒l review the context and the basic law on sentencing and then present some fairly typical scenarios to get participants thinking about what would be an appropriate sentence, given the law and our legal system, and we鈥檒l work through how a decision must be rationalized before it鈥檚 handed down.鈥�

See? It鈥檚 going to be a fascinating series you won鈥檛 want to miss.

Upcoming sessions

Watch for upcoming topics in this series, including: wills (Feb 3), the treatment and protection (or lack of it) of animals in law (Feb 17), understanding the work of the Indian Residential Schools鈥� Truth and Reconciliation Commission (March 3), and the basics of copyright law and Canada鈥檚 copyright reform (March 31).

One important note: There will be time for questions and answers at the end of each lecture, though the general nature of each topic means it is not the place to look for individual legal advice.

Mini Law School, hosted by the Schulich School of Law, takes place on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. starting Thursday, January 20 in Room 105, Weldon Law Building. (Please note: Attendees may be requested to show picture ID to enter the building after hours.)

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